Process for forming groups of articles of the tobacco processing industry

ABSTRACT

Process for forming article groups in a packing device from a predetermined number of articles of the tobacco industry. The process includes transporting the articles from a production device to the packing device, and detecting at least one feature for each article. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 ofEuropean Patent Application No. 03 003 658.6, filed on Feb. 18, 2003,the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein inits entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates to a process for forming article groupsfrom a respectively predetermined number of articles of the tobaccoprocessing industry in a packing device. The articles are transportedfrom a production device by a conveying device to the packing device.

[0004] 2. Discussion of Background Information

[0005] Various processes and devices are known from German PatentApplication No. DE-OS 1 632 205, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No.3,603,445, by which blocks of cigarettes can be assembled from acontinuous series of cigarettes and can be transferred in correspondingpockets of a pocket conveyor. To form blocks of cigarettes, continuousseries of cigarettes are removed without interruption.

[0006] Furthermore, a process and a device for forming and transferringcigarette groups in a packaging machine with several packaging lines isknown from European Patent No. EP-B-0 764 582.

[0007] As further prior art, from European Patent Application No. EP-A-0602-683 a production process for tobacco articles is known with aproduction line that comprises a production machine for the articles anda block forming machine for forming article groups with a predeterminednumber of articles. The articles are conveyed from the productionmachine to the group forming machine by a conveyor device, whereby atransfer device is provided, which assembles an unbroken and continuousseries of articles, whereby in the packing device a group with apredetermined number of articles is arranged, e.g., in a pocket.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Accordingly, the present invention provides the quality assurancein the formation of article groups with articles of the tobaccoprocessing industry. In this way, it should be possible to influence theformation of the article groups.

[0009] The invention provides a process for forming article groups fromrespectively a predetermined number of articles of the tobaccoprocessing industry, in particular cigarettes, in a packing device. Thearticles are transported from a production device by a conveyor deviceto the packing device, and at least one feature is detected for eacharticle.

[0010] The invention is based on the idea that an article-specificfeature is determined for each article so that during the formation ofblocks of the articles, in particular cigarettes, the composition of thearticle group is known with regard to the article-specific feature. Forexample, the condensate and/or nicotine content of a cigarette isdetected as an article-specific feature. The quality management isimproved on the basis of these feature values, since the production ofcigarettes and of completed cigarette packs is monitored in the longterm, thus, making it possible to make assertions about the productionprocess or the production machines as well as data on the article groupsformed. Since, e.g., the condensate content or nicotine content ofcigarettes can vary, according to the invention it is possible toascertain whether the total condensate content or total nicotine contentof an article pack or article group (on average) remains constant orvaries over a production period.

[0011] Preferably the at least one feature is detected during productionand/or during the conveyance of the article.

[0012] In particular the geometric measurements and/or chemical and/orphysical properties are detected as features of the articles. Thesemeasurable features of the articles are article-specific orcharacteristic and can differ from article to article. Geometricmeasurements are understood to be in particular the length and the widthand the volume of the article. Chemical properties can be, e.g., thecondensate content or the nicotine content of a cigarette, since thecontent of these substances is decisive for the taste and the effects onhealth of a smoker. A physical property of an article of the tobaccoprocessing industry can be, e.g., the degree of ventilation of acigarette.

[0013] Both general and specific assertions about the manufacturedarticles to be packaged, in particular cigarettes, can be made by thesearticle-specific parameters.

[0014] Within the scope of the invention, the detection of a featurealso relates to the corresponding assignment of the article parametersto the respective location of the article after the detection of thefeature. It is thus rendered possible to say with precision whichcigarettes are assigned to a cigarette group in a pocket so that it iseasy to trace in which pack or cigarette group a defective cigarette islocated.

[0015] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention it isproposed that at least one characteristic value for each article groupis formed from the features of the articles. The characteristic valueformed is specific and characteristic for the respective article groupformed, so that for each article group formed, e.g., the total nicotinecontent of all the articles can be determined.

[0016] In particular the mean value of the features of the articles inan article group is determined as the characteristic value.

[0017] If it is ascertained, for example, that an article does not meeta feature-norm, i.e., that, e.g., the nicotine content exceeds the valueset down by law or that a cigarette is too short, it is providedaccording to the invention that depending on its at least one feature anarticle is removed before the formation of an article group. It isthereby ensured that the composition of an article group is influencedin a targeted manner so that both the article group and each articlemeets certain quality or selection criteria. If, for example, the totalnicotine content of an article group is not to be exceeded, within thescope of the invention it is possible for the last articles that are tobe inserted, which exhibit an increased nicotine content and would leadto the total nicotine content of all the articles or cigarettes of thearticles being exceeded, to be removed and other subsequent or availablearticles with a lower nicotine content to be assigned to the articlegroup to be formed.

[0018] In an advantageous further development an article group isremoved depending on the totality of the features of the articles and/ordepending on the characteristic value. The process according to theinvention permits that, after the group formation, an article group canbe removed from the further production process, if this article groupdoes not meet certain selection or quality criteria. Thus only thosecigarette packs reach the market which exactly meet the qualitativeand/or legal norms. Furthermore, it is advantageous if the features ofthe articles and/or the characteristic values of the article groups arestored. A supply of data or a database is thus created for the producedand packaged articles, which makes it possible to monitor the quality ofthe produced articles or groups over a longer period.

[0019] To this end it is provided that the features of the articlesand/or the characteristic values of the article groups are managed by acomputer processing unit, particularly a central computer processingunit.

[0020] The present invention is directed to a process for formingarticle groups in a packing device from a predetermined number ofarticles of the tobacco industry. The process includes transporting thearticles from a production device to the packing device, and detectingat least one feature for each article.

[0021] In accordance with a feature of the invention, the articles canbe transported on a conveyor device.

[0022] According to another feature of the invention, the at least onefeature may be detected during at least one of production of the articleand the transporting.

[0023] According to still another feature of the present invention, theat least one feature can include at least one of geometric measurements,chemical properties, and physical properties of the article.

[0024] In accordance with the invention, the process can further includeforming a characteristic value for each article group from the at leastone feature of the articles. Further, the characteristic value can beformed by a mean value of the at least one features of the articles inthe article group. The process can also include removing an articlegroup for reasons related to at least one of a totality of the at leastone features of the articles and the characteristic value. At least oneof a value related to the at least one feature of the articles and tothe characteristic value of the article groups is stored. Still further,the at least one of the value related to the at least one feature of thearticles and the characteristic value of the article groups can bemanaged by a computer processing unit, and the computer processing unitcan include a central computer processing unit.

[0025] The process may further include, before formation of the articlegroup, removing an article for reasons related to the at least onefeature.

[0026] According to another feature of the instant invention, theprocess can also include removing an article group for reasons relatedto a totality of the at least one features of the articles.

[0027] Moreover, a value related to the at least one feature of thearticles can be stored.

[0028] The value related to the at least one feature of the articles canbe managed by a computer processing unit, and the computer processingunit may include a central computer processing unit.

[0029] The present invention is directed to a process for formingarticle groups in a packing device from a predetermined number ofarticles of the tobacco industry. The process includes transporting thearticles from a production device to the packing device, counting apredetermined number of articles representative of an article group,forming an article group with the counted articles, and detecting atleast one feature for each article.

[0030] According to a feature of the invention, when the at least onefeature of a specified article is not within a desired range, theprocess can further include rejecting the specified article. Therejected article is not counted as part of the article group.

[0031] Further, when a totality of the at least one features of aspecified article group is not within a desired range, the process mayfurther include rejecting the specified article group.

[0032] In accordance with the invention, the at least one feature isdetected during at least one of production of the article and thetransporting.

[0033] In accordance with still yet another feature of the presentinvention, the at least one feature comprises at least one of geometricmeasurements, chemical properties, and physical properties of thearticle.

[0034] Other exemplary embodiments and advantages of the presentinvention may be ascertained by reviewing the present disclosure and theaccompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The present invention is further described in the detaileddescription which follows, in reference to the noted plurality ofdrawings by way of non-limiting examples of exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention, in which like reference numerals represent similarparts throughout the several views of the drawings, and wherein:

[0036]FIG. 1 illustrates a diagrammatic arrangement for carrying out theprocess according to the invention; and

[0037]FIG. 2 illustrates another arrangement for carrying out theprocess according to the instant invention.

[0038] In the drawings the same reference numbers are assigned to thesame or same kind of elements and parts so that a new introduction eachtime is omitted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0039] The particulars shown herein are by way of example and forpurposes of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the presentinvention only and are presented in the cause of providing what isbelieved to be the most useful and readily understood description of theprinciples and conceptual aspects of the present invention. In thisregard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the presentinvention in more detail than is necessary for the fundamentalunderstanding of the present invention, the description taken with thedrawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the severalforms of the present invention may be embodied in practice.

[0040]FIG. 1 shows in a diagrammatic representation an arrangement bywhich the process according to the invention can be carried out. In aproduction machine 10, e.g., a cigarette production machine, cigarettes15 are produced which are delivered from production machine 10 to aconveyor device 12. Cigarettes 15 are transported from productionmachine 10 to a packing machine 20 and from there placed in a pocket orother container so that cigarette packs 25 with a predetermined numberof cigarettes leave the cigarette packing machine. In subsequent steps(not shown), several cigarette packs are combined to form a bundle.

[0041] During the production of cigarettes 15 in production machine 10,one feature is continuously determined for each cigarette. For example,the length or width of the cigarette can be determined as a feature.Moreover, by test devices physical properties, such as, e.g., the degreeof ventilation of the cigarette or chemical properties of the cigarettecan also be detected. In an alternative embodiment several features canbe determined for one cigarette.

[0042] The determined features are forwarded to a computer processingunit 40, such that computer processing unit 40 can be synchronized withconveyor device 12, so that, for each cigarette 15 on conveyor device12, the location of the cigarette and the respective feature or therespective features can be clearly assigned to one another or clearlycorrelated. If several features are ascertained for a cigarette, aso-called feature vector can be assigned to the corresponding cigaretteon conveyor device 12 by computer processing unit 40.

[0043] Based on the features x_(i−1), x_(i), x_(i+1), for the (i−1)-th,i-th, (i+1)-th cigarette (i=2, 3, 4, . . . ) provided by productionmachine 10, the composition of packs 25 each with a predetermined numberof cigarettes from the continuously fed stream of cigarettes isdetermined. A customary cigarette pack has a number of 20 cigarettes. Aprecise knowledge of the cigarettes in a pack is obtained because of theascertained features of the individual cigarettes. Subsequently,statistical evaluations can be made, so that quality assertions can bemade about the production process or the quality of the cigarettes.

[0044]FIG. 2 shows in diagrammatic form another embodiment of theprocess according to the invention. During the transport of cigarettes15 on conveyor device 12 it is tested by computer processing unit 40 onthe basis of the features determined by production machine 10 whether acigarette is defective. In the exemplary embodiment shown here acigarette determined to be defective and marked is labeled withreference number 16.

[0045] Before fed cigarettes 15 are assembled into a cigarette pack bythe packing machine, the cigarettes pass through an ejection device 30and a compression machine 35. Defective cigarette 16 is removed from thefed stream of cigarettes 15 by ejection device 30. To fill the gap madein the stream of cigarettes, the gap is closed by compression device 35.This can be carried out, e.g., in that the cigarettes downstream of thegap made are displaced or a cigarette from a supply of compressionmachine 35 is inserted.

[0046] By the exemplary embodiment shown, the cigarettes that do notmeet predetermined, e.g., statutory norm ranges or quality criteria aredetected and removed. In a further variant, it is possible that incigarette packing machine 20 groups of cigarettes are assembled whichmeet the set criteria in the total sum of a feature or in the mean valueof a feature. For example, it can be determined by computer processingunit 40 whether a consecutive row of cigarettes that are assembled toform a pack on average exceed a fixed value regarding nicotine content.If the actual value of the cigarettes is higher than this desired value,individual cigarettes are determined from the row and are ejected andreplaced by other suitable cigarettes, so that the selected norm is mettogether with the subsequent cigarettes.

[0047] Through the process according to the invention, it is possible toclearly improve quality assurance in the production and packing processof cigarettes or articles of the tobacco processing industry, so thatthe assembled articles in a pack or in a bundle meet predeterminedcriteria.

[0048] It is noted that the foregoing examples have been provided merelyfor the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed aslimiting of the present invention. While the present invention has beendescribed with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it is understoodthat the words which have been used herein are words of description andillustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made,within the purview of the appended claims, as presently stated and asamended, without departing from the scope and spirit of the presentinvention in its aspects. Although the present invention has beendescribed herein with reference to particular means, materials andembodiments, the present invention is not intended to be limited to theparticulars disclosed herein; rather, the present invention extends toall functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as arewithin the scope of the appended claims.

[0049] List of Reference Numbers

[0050]10 Production machine

[0051]12 Conveyor device

[0052]15 Cigarette

[0053]16 Defective cigarette

[0054]20 Packing machine

[0055]25 Cigarette pack

[0056]30 Ejection device

[0057]35 Compression device

[0058]40 Computer processing unit

[0059] x_(i) Feature of the i-th cigarette

What is claimed:
 1. A process for forming article groups in a packingdevice from a predetermined number of articles of the tobacco industry,said process comprising: transporting the articles from a productiondevice to the packing device; and detecting at least one feature foreach article.
 2. The process in accordance with claim 1, wherein thearticles are transported on a conveyor device.
 3. The process inaccordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one feature is detectedduring at least one of production of the article and the transporting.4. The process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least onefeature comprises at least one of geometric measurements, chemicalproperties, and physical properties of the article.
 5. The process inaccordance with claim 1, further comprising forming a characteristicvalue for each article group from the at least one feature of thearticles.
 6. The process in accordance with claim 1, wherein thecharacteristic value is formed by a mean value of the at least onefeatures of the articles in the article group.
 7. The process inaccordance with claim 6, further comprising removing an article groupfor reasons related to at least one of a totality of the at least onefeatures of the articles and the characteristic value.
 8. The process inaccordance with claim 6, wherein at least one of a value related to theat least one feature of the articles and to the characteristic value ofthe article groups is stored.
 9. The process in accordance with claim 6,wherein the at least one of the value related to the at least onefeature of the articles and the characteristic value of the articlegroups are managed by a computer processing unit.
 10. The process inaccordance with claim 9, wherein the computer processing unit comprisesa central computer processing unit.
 11. The process in accordance withclaim 1, further comprising, before formation of the article group,removing an article for reasons related to the at least one feature. 12.The process in accordance with claim 1, further comprising removing anarticle group for reasons related to a totality of the at least onefeatures of the articles.
 13. The process in accordance with claim 1,wherein a value related to the at least one feature of the articles isstored.
 14. The process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the valuerelated to the at least one feature of the articles is managed by acomputer processing unit.
 15. The process in accordance with claim 14,wherein the computer processing unit comprises a central computerprocessing unit.
 16. A process for forming article groups in a packingdevice from a predetermined number of articles of the tobacco industry,said process comprising: transporting the articles from a productiondevice to the packing device; counting a predetermined number ofarticles representative of an article group; forming an article groupwith the counted articles; and detecting at least one feature for eacharticle.
 17. The process in accordance with claim 16, wherein, when theat least one feature of a specified article is not within a desiredrange, the process further comprises rejecting the specified article.18. The process in accordance with claim 17, wherein the rejectedarticle is not counted as part of the article group.
 19. The process inaccordance with claim 16, wherein, when a totality of the at least onefeatures of a specified article group is not within a desired range, theprocess further comprises rejecting the specified article group.
 20. Theprocess in accordance with claim 16 wherein the at least one feature isdetected during at least one of production of the article and thetransporting.
 21. The process in accordance with claim 16, wherein theat least one feature comprises at least one of geometric measurements,chemical properties, and physical properties of the article.